STANDING in her official chain and gown with a sea of her predecessors smiling down at her, it would be fair to say that Dumfries’s new Provost Tracey Little stands out just a little.
The hallway leading to her Municipal Chambers office is adorned with the faces of Provosts past . . . and all but one are male.
With her retro glamour look, she’s probably the first to pair the gown with fashionable heels and lipstick, as she’s the the second ever female to don the famous gown and accessories.
Only one female served as Provost before Tracey, Jean McMurdo, but Tracey is the first Provost of Dumfries and Nithsdale, a relatively new title.
The 50-year-old is born and bred in Dumfries, attending Locharbriggs Primary and Dumfries High School before continuing her studies at Dumfries and Galloway College.
And her CV boasts some colourful skills and past professions, listing milliner, chocolatier and personal organiser as previous day jobs. Most recently she worked as a caseworker and constituency assistant for local MP Richard Arkless before being elected as a Lochar Ward Councillor and chosen as Provost.
And her CV boasts some colourful skills and past professions, listing milliner, chocolatier and personal organiser as previous day jobs. Most recently she worked as a caseworker and constituency assistant for local MP Richard Arkless before being elected as a Lochar Ward Councillor and chosen as Provost.
And the SNP politician credits the 2014 Independence Referendum for igniting her love of politics.
She said: “The energy and enthusiasm of the Scottish Independence Referendum is why I got involved in politics.
“I know that the referendum invigorated the country and there are many, like me, who are now actively involved in politics when previously they felt disengaged.”
She added: “Being an elected member is a hugely rewarding form of public service which provides opportunities to make a difference in people’s lives.
“The fact that the community placed their trust in me to represent them puts me in a very privileged position.
“I was born and raised in Dumfries so have a strong sense of shared experience with many of the people in this community and I am sincerely proud of my home town. I like to think I am bringing this very traditional role into the 21st century.”
And discussing the day-to-day role of a Provost, she said: “There is no typical day or week.
“There is such great variety to this role. I can be presenting awards, judging competitions, attending school events, supporting community initiatives, hosting civic receptions for visitors to our area and next week I even have the exciting job of switching on the town’s Christmas lights. I also have a lot of speeches to write and deliver.”
And she says that the people of Dumfries make her job what it is.
She said: “I love people. This role brings me into contact with and creates opportunities to meet all sorts of fantastic people which is probably the most enjoyable part.”
She added: “I’ve only been in the job for a few months so I’ve some time before I’ve achieved all I want to but I am proud and sometimes a bit overwhelmed with the realisation that I am now a part of Dumfries history.
“The many traditions which come with this position should be respected but I also fully intend to make my own mark. I want to ensure a positive light is shone on our region and all its prospects, achievements and fantastic people.
“I am determined that the people of Dumfries along with anyone who is fortunate enough to visit, see the great worth of our town and region and love it as much as I do.” And at home Tracey goes by another name . . . mum.
The mother of three lives with her architect husband and two daughters, while her 26-year-old son is currently studying in Glasgow.
She’s a vegetarian and in her spare time she says she’s an avid reader, though admits a good book often takes a back seat to council committee papers these days, not that she minds.
Overall Tracey hopes to prove politics isn’t just a man’s game and she wants to pave the way for generations of female Provosts to come, in the hope that a few more lipsticked smiling faces will grace the hall of Provost fame.
